Statistics show that nearly half of all teachers will leave the profession within five years. With that being said, Teacher Burn-Out is very real. Teacher Burn-Out has a way of creeping up out of nowhere and attacking you. It causes teachers to feel overwhelmed, to have no desire to be around other people that seem to be doing great, and to stop participating in meetings or other school events. Teachers also start to take mental health days to regroup for the final months of schools. A Burnt-Out Teacher is one who has lost their spark. The spark is something that is in a teacher’s smile when he or she greets their children. The spark is the driving force in everything we do as teachers. It carries us through the highs and the lows, the good times and the bad times. A Burnt-Out teacher is also one who complains about everything from children to parents to other staff. So, what can we do to protect ourselves from getting burnt out or crispy around the edges?

 Remember you are more than a teacher. You are someone's wife, someone’s husband, someone’s mother or father. You are someone’s sister, someone’s brother, someone’s son or daughter. Yes, you are a teacher but you are so much more than that.

 Remember it’s a job. Teaching might be the best thing that ever happened to you. It could be the best career you have. Remember teaching is an important career because you are touching young lives and influencing our future generation.

 Set boundaries and keep them. Set limits with how much you work in the evenings.

 Don’t get full of yourself. Stay humble. None of us know it all. Don’t set yourself and your class up for failure by letting your ego get in your way.

 Manage your expectations. Teaching is hard. No college class could prepare you for how hard it is. Be prepared to become a mental and emotional punching bag. You will fail. But that’s okay. Failure is a wonderful opportunity to get better.

 You will never be finished with your work. A teacher’s work is never done. There will always be something else you could be do-